Common Topics in Literature:
Nature
When Reading Literature About
Nature, Consider…
• What is the author’s/narrator’s attitude about nature?
Reverential? Afraid? Respectful? Loving? Joyful?
Identifying the author’s tone can go a long way toward
identifying the theme.
• How is the relationship between the character(s) and the
natural world portrayed? Is “man vs. nature” the main
conflict of the story, or is the relationship between humanity
and the natural world a more harmonious one?
• Does nature reflect what is going on inside of a character?
For instance, if a character is having an emotional breakdown
and a storm starts raging outside, the author is using the
natural world (the “macrocosm”) to mirror changes in the
“little universe” of one human being (the “microcosm”).
Background information on Jack
London
• Jack London spent time on the very creek that
was the man's destination “To Build a Fire” in
November of 1897, hoping to find gold during
the Klondike Gold Rush, which began with the
discovery of gold in the Klondike (an area in
Alaska) in 1896. Many men rushed north
thinking to make their fortunes and found cold,
bitter weather and inhospitable terrain they
weren't prepared for instead.
Miners Climbing Chilkoot Pass
Jack London and Naturalism
London belonged to the “Naturalist” school of writers.
"Naturalism assumes that humans have little if any
control over what happens. Rather, things happen to
people, who are at the mercy of a variety of external
and internal forces…" from The Bedford Glossary of
Critical and Literary Terms
Another characteristic of Naturalist writing is its lack of
commentary on the events of the story.
How is “To Build a Fire” a “Naturalist” story? Do you
think that “Traveling Through the Dark” fits this
definition as well?
Jack London and Naturalism
Naturalism is related to the idea of “determinism.”
From the Stanford Philosophy Encyclopedia: "Causal
determinism is, roughly speaking, the idea that every
event is necessitated by antecedent events and
conditions together with the laws of nature."
In other words, every event happens because it must.
How does this apply to human thought and action in
the works we read for today?
Questions to consider:
• In “To Build a Fire,” is the man's fate
inevitable? What events let up to his certain
demise? At what point was his fate sealed?
• In “Traveling Through the Dark” what events
“necessitate” (cause to be necessary) the
speaker’s actions at the end of the poem?
• What different types of knowledge are being
contrasted in “To Build a Fire”?
• What are each of these works saying about
humanity’s relationship with nature?
“Sleeping in the Forest”
• Both “To Build a Fire” and “Traveling in the
Dark” are about humans in direct contact with
nature – and so is "Sleeping in the Forest" p.
654. However, this last poem is quite different
in how it deals with the connections between
humanity and nature. How?
• You might also want to consider the theme of
“nature as a source of self-knowledge.”
Attitudes Towards Nature
• If you had to describe these three authors'
attitudes toward nature, what would you say
about each of them?
• How does the relationship between the man
and the dog change over the course of the short
story, and what do you think that says about
London’s attitude towards “human”
intelligence?
Romanticism in "I Wandered Lonely
as a Cloud" p. 653
In this view…
• Nature is sublime. (Awe-inspiring.)
• Nature is a source of inspiration and comfort.
(Wordsworth wrote in his preface to Lyrical
Ballads that his definition of poetry was "the
spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it
takes its origin from emotion recollected in
tranquility.")
• What else can you say about Wordsworth's view
of nature after reading this poem?
Faith and Doubt in "Dover Beach" on
p. 677
In this poem…
• The sea is a metaphor for faith. What do
you think this tells us about Arnold’s
attitude towards faith/religion?
• Do you think that this poem is ultimately
pessimistic? Why or why not?
• Why does Arnold allude to Sophocles in
lines 15-20?
• What else can we say about Arnold's use
of nature?
"Greasy Lake" p. 396
• How would you describe this author's use of
nature? Point to specific places that support
your ideas.
• How would you compare this author's use of
nature to the others we have looked at during
our unit on nature? What did you think of
these differences?
• Does the narrator's view of nature stay
consistent throughout the story, or does it
shift?
“Greasy Lake” Group Work
• Get into groups and find (at least)
three uses of natural imagery that are
startling or surprising. Tell me why
they are unusual. You might also
want to bring in comparisons to other
literature about nature we’ve read this
week.
In Class Writing #6
• Write a paragraph comparing two of the works
about nature we have read for today. Quote each
work (whether it is a poem or a short story) correctly
at least once, and be sure to include your own
analysis and interpretation of the work. See p. 58 of
your textbook for how to correctly quote a poem in
MLA format, and remember that you can quote one line,
multiple lines, or parts of one line, whichever suits your
purpose.
• Try to practice using the same tone and style you will
need to use for your paper. This means limiting the use
of “I” and “me” (unless these words are in your quotes
from the literature) and maintaining the tone expected
of academic writing by your audience.